Energy infrastructure experts say fuel shipments should return to normal in Atlanta by this weekend. That’s after a ransomware attack shut down Alpharetta-based Colonial Pipeline’s vital fuel artery last week.
University of North Georgia computer science professor Bryson Payne directs UNG’s Center for Cyber Operations Education. He told WABE’s “All Things Considered” producer Lily Oppenheimer that Colonial Pipeline was forced to pay its attackers a ransom called a “double-extortion” attack.
The FBI has said the hack was carried out by Darkside, a veteran criminal cyber group with roots in Russia and Eastern Europe. News broke this week that Colonial paid its attackers a ransom of $5 million almost immediately.
Experts: National infrastructure should learn from Colonial Pipeline cyberattack
Malware expert says high-tech criminals could impact other industries
The same advanced hack that caused the gas frenzy could affect water supply or a personal savings account.
ATLANTA - Gas supply has been down the past several days and cybersecurity experts say it s not the only industry that could fall victim to this sort of cyber hack.
They say the same advanced hack that s caused a gas frenzy could impact the water supply or your personal savings account, without proper protection. We are doing all we can to ensure our employees and agencies are well equipped to respond, Gov. Brian Kemp said at a news conference Wednesday. He announced a cyber advisory board, acknowledging what s happened to the Colonial Pipeline could happen to some other entity if the state isn t prepared.
Alumni Weekend events set for April 16-18
UNG will hold a Reunite on the River event at Pine Valley at noon April 17. This photo is from the 2019 Alumni Weekend event at Pine Valley.
The University of North Georgia (UNG) Alumni Weekend will take on a different feel in 2021, but many of the weekend s most popular events will remain in place April 16-18. While we continue to follow CDC guidelines, and respect those who are not yet ready to come to Dahlonega, many alumni are telling us they are ready for safe engagement, said Wendi Huguley, director of the Alumni Association. It is with this in mind that we have scheduled a fabulous weekend that is largely outdoors and allows for maximum spacing.
Cyber talent earns Hayes full ride to graduate school
UNG alumnus Thomas Hayes earned a full-ride graduate school scholarship through the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program. He is pursuing a master s degree in cybersecurity and privacy at New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Thomas Hayes left no stone unturned when it came to building his credentials and helping others while he was a student at the University of North Georgia (UNG). Now, the December 2020 graduate with a bachelor s degree in information systems has parlayed those qualities into a prestigious full-ride graduate school scholarship.
Hayes is pursuing a master s degree in cybersecurity and privacy at New Jersey Institute of Technology through the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program, which covers full tuition, a $34,000 annual stipend, health insurance, and money for professional development and textbooks. Funded by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the scholarship is designed to recruit and train
Academies to train teachers and high school students in cybersecurity
High school students work during cybersecurity training at UNG s 2019 GenCyber Warrior Academy. UNG will host an academy for students and one for teachers this summer.
The University of North Georgia s (UNG) popular GenCyber Warrior Academy (GCWA) for high school students will return this summer, and the university will hold its first-ever cyber opportunity for educators, the Advancing GenCyber Education for North Georgia Teachers (AGENT) Initiative.
More than 520,000 cyber jobs are available nationwide and more than 17,000 in Georgia, according to CyberSeek, which provides data on the cybersecurity job market. Dr. Lindsay Linsky, a UNG associate professor of middle grades education and the AGENT Initiative s lead instructor, said that s why the program is so important.